News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-01-13
Nat.ona, Aid for Common Schools
WHY SHOULD THE BILL PASS?

l do not think there is any constltu-
tional difficulty in this bill.
So, then, Without going at large into
such a discussion, it is perfectly plain to
my mind, with great respect to those
who think otherwise. that the constitu-
tional power of Congress to devote
money in the treasury to this object is
perfectly clear; and I fully agree to
what the eloquent senator from Massa-
chusetts, Mr.. Hoar, has said, and it re-
CARDS the promotion of the general well
fare by the universally of education as
one of the three fundamental elements
without which, in the long run. no gov
eminent of the people, and by the peo-
pie, and for the people, can long exist
Senator Ednaunds, Vermont.
That Congress may make gifts to the
states in aid of cOmmon-schoOls and also
of university education is too well set
tied to admit of controversy. This has
been the practice from the earliest pc
rid of our history. This practice also
settles that education of the people is in
the category of the general welfare of
the United States. 1 do not war against
local self-government when | sustain a
measure which tends to make that self
government safe and respectable. and
even possible in some of the states.
do not add unduly to the powers of
the Federal government when L vote for
bill which has the sanction of prece-
dents from the earliest days to the pres
ent time, and which gives no exclusive
privileges to any, but conferS a great
boon to those who most need 1.-THE
workers and tOilers, by whose muscles,
intelligence, and energy we have achiev.
ed the grand material results of our
present civilization. George,
Mississippi.
The city of Charleston has a popula-
ton of about 5O,0O0.-23, 900 white, 81
600 black. She appropriated $4,000 in
addition to the funds raised by the state
tax, and of this sum the blacks pay 8
per cent, though their children attend
the schools In equal numbers to those of
the whites. This city pays for public
education on a ratio one-third more
than does the prosperous and classic city
of Boston for its whole system of educa-
ton, and it does this while pressed down
by debt of S5,0O0,000. If the whites
were to apply the 95 per cent. of the
taxes paid by them to the education of
their own race they might soon reduce
the ratio of illiteracy; but the whole
sum collected is applied without discrim
nation as to race or color, and would
not have it otherwise. But, surely, in
the face of these facts, we are author
lied to ask aid of the general govern
Hampton, South Caro-
lima.
1t has been said that it is not safe to
trust these commemorative with this
But as l understand the scheme
of this bill it does not trust anybody
with anything, except possibly the first
year of its operation, if it does then. 1t
simply declares to the state of South
Carolina that if she will grant a certain
will satisfy the United States
government that she has made it and
it on certain principles, will
give us the statistical information, which
enables us to test the accuracy of her
report, then she shall have a sum of
money, just as we said to the Pacific
Co.: build twenty-five miles
and you shall have so much; build
miles more and you shall
have so much, and so on, until you get
to the Pacific. "-Senator Hoar, Massa-
chaSetts.
So the restoration of the Union, and
the reconstruction of states, with gov
republican in form, will be
found to be but bitter delusion, unless
the people throughout the whole country
shall be made and kept sufficiently intel
ligent to know and to maintain their
rights, generation after generation.
As the national government is repub-
lican in form, so its own existence de-
ponds upon the same conditions as the
existence of the states; consequently in
and in self-perpetuation it
must secure, directly, by its own act, or
indirectly, through other agencies, the
intelligence of its citizens, who are
themselves the gOvernment.-Ssna
Blair, Ne,o Hampshire.